Christmas Blessings ~ The Joy of our Savior

One of my fondest memories from when I was a little boy was going to various parties with my family and listening to Christmas carols, no matter what they were, the music kept me rapt in the season; focused on why we celebrate. Years later when I became a history teacher I would engage my students in a lesson the week before Christmas that shared my early passion for music and appreciation for the reason for the season. As we are all aware in the early history of our faith many secular institutions would outlaw the practice of Catholicism, forcing the faithful to worship in private. Specifically, if we closely look at the whimsical Twelve Days of Christmas we can see our faith proclaimed. 1 A Partridge in a pear tree refers to Jesus Christ, the son of God 2 Turtle Doves refers to the Old and New Testaments 3 French Hens refers to Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues 4 Calling Birds refers to the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists 5 Golden Rings refers to the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace. 6 Geese A-laying refers to the six days of creation 7 Swans A-swimming refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments 8 Maids A-milking refers to the eight beatitudes 9 Ladies Dancing refers to the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit 10 Lords A-leaping refers to the ten commandments 11 Pipers Piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles 12 Drummers Drumming refers to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed. As adults we know that it is better to give than receive and what a better gift to give than the faith and love that is shared with the joy of our Savior’s birth. Our faith is everywhere, we just have to look, listen, and believe. With that I offer you my wishes for a safe and blessed Christmas and joyous New Year. May our Savior keep you in His loving arms as we travel along our winding journey to meet Him some day. Peace, Scott

Dear DeSales Family,

Well, usually at this time of year I write about impending snow and how we can tell it is about to make an appearance, but, as we have seen this week, we already have been visited by the white splendor that makes Western New York so special.  As such I feel that it is a great time to re-visit both winter and regular school safety concerns.

Ø  Please remember that all of our little ones walk through the parking lot in some form or fashion and they do not always look before moving on.  As a rule make sure that you enter and exit the lot through the designated lanes and that you adhere to a maximum speed of no more than five miles per hour.

Ø  Please allow some extra time for students to get into class in the morning as they are wearing a few more clothes, and so is everyone else in the school.  If you have never seen an elementary school hall the day of a first real snow, it looks as if a tornado has hit with kids and clothes everywhere.

Ø  With the previous in mind, please be sensitive to the time of teachers immediately before and after school.  The time is designed for daily preparation and brief student questions.  Unfortunately, they often do not have time to accommodate drop-in parent conferences.  It is always best to either call, e-mail, or drop a line to schedule a conference.  As a school, it is our goal to reply to all communication, at the latest, in 24 hours.

Ø  In the rare case that DeSales Catholic School is going to close because of inclement weather we will publicize this on all major television stations and, in all instances, if the Lockport City School District is closed because of inclement weather, DeSales is closed.

We have been hearing growing concern about driving in and around DeSales.  Over the years we have discussed many of the different rules and regulations of traffic safety as they apply to the roads around DeSales and, while I am happy to bring them forward again, the most important issue at stake here is the safety of our children.

Ø  Please remember that passing a school stopped school bus, even with a permanent divider in the road is illegal.

Ø  The streets around DeSales Catholic School are designated as a school zone and, as such, reduces speed is very important.

Ø  When entering and exiting the parking lot, please make extra sure that there are no children present as little ones tend to hide behind bushes and such and rarely look before running.

It is only through working together and with the guiding grace of our Savior that we can continue to ensure the safety and well-being of our future.

In His Name,

Scott

Hello Friends, It is late October and this year continues to be full of surprises, some good and some concerning, but all of them presenting us with opportunities. As we began the school year, our NYS assessment scores were fresh in our minds and we looked at how do we learn from them. As I wrote you back in April assessments are tools to see where children are, not a means to sell papers. This year in particular with the first assessment of the common core shift, many schools achieved far below their capability and, while we performed better than many, we too did not achieve what we know our students’ potential is. The real question then becomes, how do we grow from here? The answer is easy, we look at the data that we receive; we work with our students to capitalize on their strengths, offering strategies to help them work through their challenges and educate everyone involved in our children’s learning, school, home and child. The next big surprise that we are faced with this year is the continuing Journey of Faith and Grace in the Diocese of Buffalo and the announcement that through a school revitalization and reorganization process several Catholic schools in the Diocese of Buffalo will be closing their doors at the end of this academic year. As I have stated before, we are not in danger of closing, but this revitalization process does offer us the opportunity for a full evaluation of our programs and the chance to begin anew again. Thus, we have begun a committee to look over our programs and determine exactly what our specialty is and how we can improve that particular facet of our school. Therefore, I ask that if you have any thoughts, please share them with me through either phone or e-mail. Finally, the biggest, most pressing and recurring issue this year is the continuing rash of school place violence that we are seeing in the United States. Over the last several years, DeSales has made many strides in improving the safety of our students, faculty and staff. Our first initiative was to move our Main Office in 2011 to its new location essentially allowing our staff a direct line of sight to the main entrance and all who enter. Our next steps occurred simultaneously, we undertook a complete overhaul of our Incident Response Plan (IRP) and had an outside organization complete a thorough safety/threat analysis of our campus, plans, procedures and systems. Additionally, with the beginning of the 2013~2014 school year DeSales families are assessed a $60 per child security fee to help augment the security features already in place. Currently we have a school safety committee that is charged with constantly reviewing our IRP as well as making recommendations as to how to best implement suggestions from our safety/threat analysis. I have spent a great deal of time writing about some of the negatives that are occurring in our lives so I would like to leave you with a cute little story. If you ask any educator, any real educator, why they went into this profession you will hear some variation of the following; I want to help children, I love when they finally understand it, the “ah ha” moment. Well, I have been blessed over my career to see this repeatedly. That moment when a child smiles and we know that they are happy because they get it and today was no exception. Today one of my colleagues came up to me and said I should have heard my kids today. They said of me that it was so cool that I was smiling. One particular little girl said, Dr. Fike must be really happy. All I can say is “Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus and Yes, I am happy. I get to work with our future everyday and it is a pleasure. Thank you for that gift. God Bless, Scott

Virgil wrote, “fugit interea fugit irreparabile tempus, singula dum capti circumvectamur amore” or translated, “But meanwhile it flees: time flees irretrievably, while we wander around, prisoners of our love of detail.”  Over this week and last students throughout New York State have been toiling through that yearly slog more commonly known as the Grade 3 ~ 8 ELA and Math tests.  However, as we are, as a collective body of parents and schools, anxiously awaiting the results from these mandated tests society has become lost in the fog of these very assessments.   We have lost sight of the true purpose of assessments; gathering data and using it to make sure that we are presenting the very best for our students. 

Quickly, research tells that what has been accomplished by mass mandated testing is a ratcheting up of the consequences associated with assessments as the outcome correlation is determined directly from the stakes associated with the test (Abrams, Pedulla, & Madaus, 2003) and even though assessment-based reforms have been around for some time, their purpose has changed from a traditional measure of intelligence to judging the quality and equality of education for all (Carnoy et al., 2003).  The belief that standardized accountability can be used as an educational motivator to improve performance and guarantee that tested subjects remain central in the curriculum through external pressure is seen as a powerful lever by policymakers (Mazzeo, 2001) but I posit that the real outcome of standardized accountability has become a narrowing of what schools have historically taught; essentially removing the development of the whole child. 

So, I say, chill out, use the tests as the tools they were designed for and let’s have some fun again. 

God Bless,

Scott

Hello All,

Well, today is the day, a day which will live is the annals of sports infamy.  Why you may ask, well today is the second annual Faculty vs. 8^th Grade Challenge for Charity fund raiser for Catholic Charities.  Last year the event was so well attended that we had Standing Room Only in the gym with more people trying to get in, so make sure you have your tickets and get here early.  The evening’s events are as follows:

6:00 Festivities Begin.

•           Opening Prayer – Paul Schuster

•           National Anthem – Kelly DiStefano

•           50/50 – See the ladies on the baseline, by the knight

•           Volleyball Game – best of 3, games to 15 win by 2

•           Chuck for a Buck

o          $1 per shot

o          ½ court shot contest (grades 2 and under can shoot from the 3 point line)

o          Anyone can participate

o          Come down onto the court with your $1.

•           Basketball Game – 4, 8 minute quarters, running clock, 4 minute half time

•           50/50 Drawing – 1 winner, ½ time of basketball game

Concessions

·                     Pizza, candy, popcorn, pop, water

Hope to see you all there.

Peace,
Scott

Hello Friends,

I know that there is much consternation concerning the upcoming Celebration of Catholic Education on April 10^th at the First Niagara Center.  So please allow me a brief moment to address some of the concerns. 

1.      As with any field trip, the ultimate decision as to whether a child attends or not rests with the parents.  You have to determine if the educational benefit that would be gained by this Diocese of Buffalo sponsored field trip is worth your child’s attendance or the day would be more productive if they were to attend regular classes.

2.      Yes, if you elect for your child to not attend the field trip DeSales Catholic School will be open for a normal school day.  As with any regular school day, attendance is expected at school that day.

3.      One of the most pressing conversations that I have heard is about the Liability and Medical release that is listed on the permission slip.  These are not specifically listed on the new slip as a specific result of this particular field trip, but a part of the new mandatory permission slip that we have been directed by the Diocese of Buffalo to use.    

I hope that helps to answer some of the questions that are floating around among everyone.  However, if I have not helped with this, or if you have more questions, please do not hesitate to give me a call.

Peace,
Scott

Dear DeSales Family,

In today's Gospel, according St. John, Jesus said "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone . . .” and, with that being said, please accept my apology that I have been so long in updating this blog.  While I have sent out different notes and letters, it has been far too long since I have written here. 

Today parents who have students in grades 4 ~ 8 will be receiving notification of a field trip that is being sponsored and underwritten by the Diocese of Buffalo.  On April 10^th, over 12,000 students enrolled in Catholic schools from throughout the Diocese will be gathering at the First Niagara Center in what will be a celebration of Catholic education.  During this rally students from across the Diocese will be entertained by a variety of musical acts, get the chance to meet both Bishop Malone and our new superintendent, Sister Carol Cimino as well as hear about important legislation that is currently pending before the NYS assembly with the goal of allowing individuals and corporations a tax credit for donations made to non-profit organizations, like the BISON Fund, to provide needs-based educational scholarships.  Most advantageous is that this bill would allow individuals the ability to designate within those non-profits specific schools as the recipient of these funds. 

With this understanding of the events scheduled for April 10^th, please take the time to review the materials coming home today and decide if you would like your child to be part of the field trip.  If you do elect to not have your child attend the rally there will still be school on April 10^th.

Peace,
Scott